A silly, charming story of friendship and bravery that provides plenty of giggles for early readers.
In Jussawalla’s children’s book, three animal friends leave the safety of their farm and find themselves in the big city.
Nugget the chicken wakes up ready for an adventure, but no other farm animals want to join in, aside from Noodles the lamb and Rib the pig. When they see Farmer Joe driving past in his truck, the trio hop in the back and soon discover their mystery destination: the big city. They jump out of the truck and into the crowded streets, immediately getting separated. Nugget wanders into an office building, where she’s mistaken for a new employee and instructed to start immediately on an important presentation. Noodles rolls down a flight of stairs and winds up in the subway, where he accompanies a street musician. Rib enters a fancy restaurant and is asked by the chef to come back to the kitchen, where he’s put in charge of making minestrone soup. The friends eventually make their way back to each other and share tales of their exploits when they spot Farmer Joe’s truck passing by. They hop back on and head home, already dreaming of their next adventure. Saavi K’s illustrations are a delight, bursting with bright colors and bold lines depicting cartoonishly cute animals walking upright. The text appears in different fonts and colors to emphasize dialogue, taking on different shapes depending on the picture (sentences wind up and down to mimic the winding road that Farmer Joe drives down, for example). The dialogue can get a bit tiresome, only because it is almost always capitalized, making it seem as though everyone is yelling. But Jussawalla’s clever story offers up so many laugh-out-loud moments (“The elephant just stood there and stared. (No one knew why there was an elephant on the farm, but there it was”) that parents and children alike are sure to delight in the trio’s antics.
A silly, charming story of friendship and bravery that provides plenty of giggles for early readers.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781038303103
Page Count: 44
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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